Monday, November 22, 2010

There’s a perception outside the region that Georgia’s biggest rival is Georgia Tech. Part of that is because it falls this week, when the other in-state, heated rivalries take place: Alabama-Auburn, Clemson-South Carolina, Ole Miss-Mississippi State, etc.

But as I quickly discovered when I moved to Georgia eight years ago, there are two basic truths when it comes to the status of the Bulldogs’ biggest rival:

1. For most people, it’s Florida.2. As for who comes second, it depends on where you live, or how well Auburn, Georgia Tech, South Carolina or Tennessee are doing.

So on this week, I’ll throw it open to the gallery: If you had a preference, rank the following teams in order of how much, in an average year, you would rather beat them:

Old school we always closed with the toughest stretch of rivals on the books... Fla, Awbarn, and Tech. With the league expansion and new 12 game schedules the home stretch has changed a little, but basically remains the same for the Dawgs. While others just close the season with their big rival. Problem is our proximity to everyone so we're everyone else's #1 or #2... SC hates Clemson and Georgia, Fla hates FSU and Georgia, Awbarn hates Alabama and Georgia, Tenn hates Fla, Bama and Georgia, NATS hate Georgia thus why we get everyone's best shot week in and week out.

Back to your original question; grew up in Columbus (30 mins east of awbarn) so mine are:1. Awbarn2. Florida3. Tennessee4. NATS

Florida - I happen to think it will always be at the top as long as they get coaches like Spurrier and Meyer who you just love to hate. Oh yeah, and their fanbase is pretty easy to hate too.

Auburn - The best rivalry, and as our perennial West opponent, you can't deny its place in the annals of Georgia's historic rivals. The one game that it really doesn't matter how good one is and how bad the other is, this game could always go the opposite of how anyone thinks.

Georgia Tech - We are to GT as UF is to us. It gets points solely because of its history. If we were judging this by its stats, it would be a lot farther down the list. Never underestimate how bad the UGA fanbase wants to win this one, though.

South Carolina - This gets points for how dangerous this game seems to be every year. It's always close, even when it looks like its not. UGA's newest true rivalry.

Tennessee - They'll move back up the list, I'm sure.

Clemson - In the 'someone else' category, this is the other other historic border war that's fallen by the wayside, and that's ashame. Play each other regularly, and its up near the top for sure. Talk to an old school Georgia or Clemson fan, and you'll see how much these teams have HATED each other through the years, and the rhetoric is the strongest against any current rival we have.

south carolina is not a true rival. Sure they beat us every once in a while, but they are not a true rival of ours. Check out the all time record and its not close at all. Of course the same could be said about Tech, but they our in state and must be beaten down year after year. It is our birth right as Dawg fans. We know it and they nerds know it. That is why they hate us so much.

This is my list pretty much every year. Even though my oldest brother went to Tech, they don't make it to the top of my list. I was in school at UGA during the Dooley years and even though we beat Florida with regularity, it was always the most important game.

1. Florida2. Tennessee3. Auburn (making a strong case for #1 this year, but usually tamer than the first two).4. Georgia Tech (hate to lose to them)5. Clemson in the 80s.6. South Carolina (I wouldn’t say they're really a rival)

1. Florida - the SEC East has ran through Gainesville for a while now2.South Carolina - I live in SC so a win helps my well being.3.Tenn4.Auburn5. G Tech - feels the same as UF fans feel about UGA the past 20 years. Tech is the instate rival but doesnt have the drama of the Iron Bowl or the craziness of Clemson & Carolina.

I do believe that Georgia is Georgia Tech's biggest rival. The only reason I rank Florida #1 is because we can never seem to beat them. I'm starting to believe that we just put too much pressure on this game though.

1. Florida-and always will be!2. Auburn-would be right below tech until this year but hey when you loose 4 in a row I guess they have to take out their frustration some how.3. Georgia Tech-hate tech and never want to loose to them again and hear all of their mouths for a year after they win 1 in 10 years.4. Tennessee-hated Fat pumpkin! All shades of orange are ugly on football!5. South Carolina-hate Darth Visor but other than him...eh

I don't see why most of you rank Tech so high on your list. For the last few years, I could care less about the tech game. I was there from 2005-2009 and most of the people I knew felt the exact same way. We always cared about Florida and Auburn. Next year:

FloridaSouth CarolinaAuburn (they have moved up cause of last game)Ga Tech Tennessee

This can change drastically from year to year but this is the way I currently feel. I cannot wait to avenge our losses to Fla and SC! Also Auburn but we have beat them so much lately. As for Ga Tech I really want us to beat them and understand it but we have been dominating them as of late. If you would of asked me about Tech two years ago after coming off the loss where they ripped down our hedges they might of been a little higher.

The in-state rival is the biggest. When GA lost to Tech in 2008, that's all I heard for a year. At least when you lose to FLA, you might bump into a handful of FLA fans during the year. I'm sure that's different for the South GA crowd, but for me, "To hell with GA Tech!"

I hate being redundant, but it depends on who is doing well at the moment.

I'm a child of the 80's. For me, Tennessee wasn't ever present on the schedule until expansion. Now that I live in Nashville, UT has moved up my list.

It's our birthright to beat down the bugs. While the game with the NATS wouldn't necessarily be a true rivalry, we should never lose to them.

With the garbage sportsmanship displayed by the war scam eagles, I'm tempted to move AU up on my list. But with our recent dominance over Auburn combined with the fact that they will soon be on a 100 year probation, I think we'll continue to pound them, relegating the once proud rivalry to nerd status.

So, with that rambling in mind, here's my list:

1. Florida - always has been2. Tennessee - living in TN will do it.3. Auburn - only because AU's sun is already setting.4. South Carolina - no different than KY. They'll get a random win on us every 5 years or so.5. Nerds - Hasn't been a rivalry since the '50's.

Growing up in N Ga in the late 70's, and 80's Clemson would have held the #2 spot. That was a fun rivalry. It would be nice to schedule them every couple of years or so, but I guess with the cupcake scheduling, it won't happen. (Though you can't argue that it's too far to travel.)

I live in SC and yes it makes me want to beat them more than if I lived in GA. However, they're not in the top 4 for UGA rivalries if you look at any poll.

I enjoyed watching Dooley and the Dawgs destroy Fla. but I don't know if they are any bigger rivals than Tech when you look at the entire history of UGA football. I do think people can make a good argument for Fla. or GT being 1.

Auburn is a great rivalry and is right up there too. I mean 53-53 and however many ties..that's a good rivalry. (Yes I said 53 wins a piece. The forfeit will come soon)

We haven't played Tenn. enough for them to be a top 3. Although I do throw up a little in my mouth every time I see them.

I'd say SC next, but Clemson might battle for that spot too. That's another great debate.

GA Tech is our biggest rival and it's not even close. GA Tech Lies and Cheats and Everyone knows it. All honest Americans pull against GA Tech. GA Tech needs to lose all of their games because they are an outlaw school. Florida would be next in line. Then Tennessee. Then Auburn. South Carolina would be next. GA Tech fans are a bunch of lying/cheating scum wads. Tech fans are idiots.

I'm a third-generation Georgia alumnus who has grown up all over the South. While I was growing up, my grandfather and my father gave me a thorough education on Tech's place in our history (as well as Auburn's, Florida's, and everybody else's).

Alabama we have played very well and have 1 of the better records Alabama has faced against them. We really get up for that game and it is always a huge game for all the players, coaches and fans. The only reason I rank them worse than Florida and the vols is because we have played them only 55 % of the years through history.

Just because we don't play Climpsum Farmers every year, doesn't mean I would not rather beat them than just about anyone we could beat the last week in a season. I absolutely hate Climpsum Farmers, always have, always will.

vols are ahead by 3 games in the series with us, a series in which the vols have ducked playing us until The SEC forced them to. vols have always played weak schedules through history and prefer a high win percentage than to play real opponents such as us.

Florida crocodiles are ahead of the vols as rival because they own us. 18 out of last 21 games are Florida wins. That is NOT a rival compared to Auburn who is only 2 games ahead of us after 118 years. Yeah, I know, 7 games up on Florida but be truthful Florida never caught on in football until The SEC expanded. All of a sudden, then only, did Florida have all these rivalries. They sucked for 100 years in football. Even with all their wins the last 20 years against everyone not just us, Florida just has made it into the Top 25 (#24) in all-time 1-A wins. UGA is # 11 all-time in 1-A wins (not that you would know it the last 5 years with 20 Losses.) If we could beat Florida, that would be different; but, we cannot, have not, and don't give a crap to even try to level the playing field for our players - all we talk about is well we played close, or well, even with the loss to Florida we still are in the hunt for The SEC East Championship we have not even been to the game since 2005. This is 2010 and next year is no walk in the park with an even tougher schedule now with Boise State than we had this season and losing 14 seniors and 4 juniors.

Until this football program gets the mindset that it is NOT ALRIGHT to go down there to JAX Gator Bowl and LOSE every year, and do all we can do to fix this 3 wins 18 losses the last 21 games since 1990, then we will never be anything on the National Stage but an AFTERTHOUGHT - not even able to get out of our own division, let alone conference or gain a big bowl game win against a Top 10 Final AP Poll team that CMR has NEVER done. We're an afterthought.

All you who voted Florida # 1 Rival, get a grip. A rivalry is NOT a game you LOST 18 of the last 21 games - which is why Georgia tek is NOT a big huge Rival as those of you who voted them # 1.

Georgia tek is not a football school. In a state finding but only 3 others with more high school players who go on to the NFL, Georgia tek instead ranks # 50 every year in recruiting. And, this is WITH Paul Johnson. They don't play anyone, never have, and when they do - they LOSE.

Don't bring this weak B.S. in here a team we should not even play, is our # 1 Rival, or even on the DAMN LIST.

South Carolina is a JOKE of a football program. They don't care about Winning. Just show up. .758 win percentage by UGA vs South Carolina does not make them a better rival than Climpsum Farmers whom we are .693 win percentage against but we have to put them ahead of Climpsum Farmers because some idiot took Climpsum Farmers off our schedule. Put them back on and take Georgia tek off.

We have EVERYTHING to lose playing Georgia tek and NOTHING to gain. This game means all to Georgia tek. It is all they care about. They don't care how they do it. Cheat, steal, anything but just beat UGA is their battle cry. Why play a team like that ? A sorry nothing of a football program who in the last 50 years is # 34 in 1-A wins. Number 34 in the nation. And, they did that by playing nothing but cupcakes and otherwise losing. 318-257-10 since 1959 and 6-5 this season.

That is your # 1 Rival ?

B.S.

Let Georgia tek talk about what they did during the Wars when our players were at War. They have zero business on our schedule, and are there (like we are in JAX) because THEY want it - not me.

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About the Author

Seth Emerson has been covering the SEC and Georgia (on and off) since 2002. He worked at the Albany Herald from 2002-05, then spent five years at The State in Columbia, S.C., covering South Carolina. He returned to Athens in August of 2010, only to find that David Pollack and David Greene were no longer playing for the Bulldogs. Adjustments were made.

Emerson is originally from Silver Spring, Md., and graduated from Maryland in 1998 with a degree in journalism and a minor in getting lost on the way to practically everywhere. Then he spent four years at The Washington Post, covering small colleges, a couple NCAA basketball tournaments, and on one glorious day, was yelled at by Tony Kornheiser. It was probably at The Post that he also learned to write in the third person.

These days he lives in Athens with his beloved and somewhat wimpy dog, Archie. Together they fight crime at night in northeast Georgia, except on nights there is no crime, in which case they sit at home, sip on white wine and watch reruns of "Mad Men."